Got these little guys in the same package deal...:yessir:

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k96/brtaylor30/11-11-08095.jpg

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k96/brtaylor30/11-11-08084.jpg

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k96/brtaylor30/11-11-08072.jpg

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k96/brtaylor30/11-11-08102.jpg

Even got one of these crazy little guys...:rockon:

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k96/brtaylor30/11-11-08119.jpg

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k96/brtaylor30/11-11-08114.jpg

Looking good.... here's to females!:cheers: You're goin nuts with these legged guys!

Nice looking cresteds. I hope you have better luck with them than I did.

Congrats. Really nice cresties you've got there. Good luck with them. And take care of that beautiful striped little gargoyle. One of the nicest striped ones I've seen.

Them are pretty neat. Congrats.

i love them alll. I can't believe how far you've gone. nor can i believe you got a gargoyle already.
onionboy

Awesome looking Cresties!

Boy you really jumped in with these guys!! Congrats! :yessir:

the third one down has some nice red to it. I like that. nice crew you got.

BT - I'm so going to steal your idea of photographing them on egg crate!

I think you're hooked! :lol:

Congrats on the new crew you have. You'll love that garg and get more of them soon too.:lol:

wow BT,
when you take the plunge...you REALLY take the plunge.
you'll soon be known as rhac-man-the-barbarian if you keep conquering rhac species at this break-neck pace.
good luck with all 'a them youngin's.
they get easier when they're bigger.
tails forever !
ck

Man I need one of those buckskin pitbull lizards... Looking good..:)

Tell me they don't look alike..

http://www.southernpitbulls.com/images/brindle-pitbull-1.jpg

That little gargoyle is cool, I've always liked those!

You're definitely addicted bro. :lol:

Great looking group man!

Jumping in with some nice looking stock :rockon:

Thanks everybody...I'm really diggin the cricket free Cresties...:lol:...Tell me this - What's the secret to prevent them from dropping their tails?

congrats they have some awesome color

NIce looking crew and that garg is sweet

I'm diggin' that second one!

Thanks everybody...I'm really diggin the cricket free Cresties...:lol:...Tell me this - What's the secret to prevent them from dropping their tails?

So you're not going to feed any crickets at all?

If you don't want them to drop their tails... definitely don't let the cat jump in their cage while you go off to get them more crested gecko diet... speaking from experience here. :lol:

congrats they have some awesome color

Thanks man -

NIce looking crew and that garg is sweet

Thanks Liz...That Gargoyle is super fast...LOL

I'm diggin' that second one!



So you're not going to feed any crickets at all?

If you don't want them to drop their tails... definitely don't let the cat jump in their cage while you go off to get them more crested gecko diet... speaking from experience here. :lol:

I'll give them crickets every now and again but I won't be ordering crickets by the thousands like I did when I had the Leos...I'll be sure to keep an eye on my cats...:rockon:

BT don't look at them, don't talk to anyone outside the room and change the food wearing padded shoes and soft fluffy gloves... :lol:

I haven't figured out that trick yet, had one drop a tail from heat, others just because I looked at them cross eyed and yet I have a female and a mean ass male that are breeding happily both with full tails.

Spray the sides of the container before you mess with the garg, doesn't really make them any less quick but it does make them more clumsy.

BT don't look at them, don't talk to anyone outside the room and change the food wearing padded shoes and soft fluffy gloves... :lol:

I haven't figured out that trick yet, had one drop a tail from heat, others just because I looked at them cross eyed and yet I have a female and a mean ass male that are breeding happily both with full tails.

Spray the sides of the container before you mess with the garg, doesn't really make them any less quick but it does make them more clumsy.

LOL...Thanks for the "spray the sides" tip...Little bastard can jump too...:lol:

Thanks everybody...I'm really diggin the cricket free Cresties...:lol:...Tell me this - What's the secret to prevent them from dropping their tails?

i think ultimately, they need to be handled.
not when you first get them, we waited like two weeks, but after that, while doing your routine maintenance, just get them to hand walk for like five minutes each. it probably desensitizes them against their instinctual "drop and run" flee tactic. minimal handling, but weekly short sessions (five min max at first, stop immediately if they seem nervous), have worked over here. we've even handled our hatchlings beginning at about two weeks old with no tail loss over the thirteen months ( about twenty geckos )we've had 'em.
make sure you never touch the tail, they'll use their tails to hold onto you, but it's their choice. they'll even drag their tail to make a final adjustment during a leap ! feels weird at first, but you'll actually feel it when they launch from your hand if you pay attention to it.
don't know if you plan to, but they'll really show you some cool behavior if you can get them settled into a naturalistic environment. even if it's just something for 1.2 of your adults. just make sure to have a dedicated lay area (a place the ladies can't refuse ) so you're not lookin' everywhere for the two eggs each per month that the girls will give you during their laying season.
pm me or ask larry for my number if you've got specific questions.
ck

i think ultimately, they need to be handled.
not when you first get them, we waited like two weeks, but after that, while doing your routine maintenance, just get them to hand walk for like five minutes each. it probably desensitizes them against their instinctual "drop and run" flee tactic. minimal handling, but weekly short sessions (five min max at first, stop immediately if they seem nervous), have worked over here. we've even handled our hatchlings beginning at about two weeks old with no tail loss over the thirteen months ( about twenty geckos )we've had 'em.
make sure you never touch the tail, they'll use their tails to hold onto you, but it's their choice. they'll even drag their tail to make a final adjustment during a leap ! feels weird at first, but you'll actually feel it when they launch from your hand if you pay attention to it.
don't know if you plan to, but they'll really show you some cool behavior if you can get them settled into a naturalistic environment. even if it's just something for 1.2 of your adults. just make sure to have a dedicated lay area (a place the ladies can't refuse ) so you're not lookin' everywhere for the two eggs each per month that the girls will give you during their laying season.
pm me or ask larry for my number if you've got specific questions.
ck

Appreciate the tips CK...The adults seem to be pretty laid back...You can tell when their about to make that leap - Sort of squat down like a frog...LOL...What king of substrate you using in your lay box? You ever keep Gargoyles?

Appreciate the tips CK...The adults seem to be pretty laid back...You can tell when their about to make that leap - Sort of squat down like a frog...LOL...What king of substrate you using in your lay box? You ever keep Gargoyles?


Hey BT - when Emily brought Carmen to me and suspected she wasn't done laying, she also brought me a Glad container that had what looked to be potting soil that was dampened toped with damp sphanum moss.

Every time I was in the enclosure, I'd pick up the container and look at the bottom of it to see the eggs. Carmen would lay them all the way at the bottom so you'd see two white eggs and the rest would be potting soil.

You'll notice digging in the lay box about a week before they lay.

Hey BT - when Emily brought Carmen to me and suspected she wasn't done laying, she also brought me a Glad container that had what looked to be potting soil that was dampened toped with damp sphanum moss.

Every time I was in the enclosure, I'd pick up the container and look at the bottom of it to see the eggs. Carmen would lay them all the way at the bottom so you'd see two white eggs and the rest would be potting soil.

You'll notice digging in the lay box about a week before they lay.

Sounds like Leos...I used vermiculite for my Leo's lay box...They'd bury the eggs in the very bottom and stand on them...Cool - Thanks for the tip Robin...:rockon:

Like CK said, it seems that handling will get them to resist the urge to drop their tails. I've had my colony for about 2 and a half years and I haven't had 1 tail loss. Even with the rough breeders, they seem inclined to not drop them. I'm probably just very lucky when it comes to that, because it does happen, usually from rough breeding. All my adults are way laid back, and I can pretty much do anything with them. I take them out and put them on my shoulder while I clean their cages and stuff.

For a lay box, I use a tupperware container with a hole cut in the lid off to the corner filled with damp vermiculite. I know people that use dampened moss, and it seems to work for them, but I've found it's harder for them to really dig in it like the seem to want to. Vermiculite has worked very well for me. Just gotta make sure it stays damp, otherwise you may end up with eggs on the floor or in the water dish. I hadn't checked my lay box in a couple days since my girl wasn't due to lay yet, but it had dried up a bit and she laid her eggs on the floor when I checked on them last night. I think I found them soon enough, they look like they may still hatch, I'll have to wait and see.

Like CK said, it seems that handling will get them to resist the urge to drop their tails. I've had my colony for about 2 and a half years and I haven't had 1 tail loss. Even with the rough breeders, they seem inclined to not drop them. I'm probably just very lucky when it comes to that, because it does happen, usually from rough breeding. All my adults are way laid back, and I can pretty much do anything with them. I take them out and put them on my shoulder while I clean their cages and stuff.

For a lay box, I use a tupperware container with a hole cut in the lid off to the corner filled with damp vermiculite. I know people that use dampened moss, and it seems to work for them, but I've found it's harder for them to really dig in it like the seem to want to. Vermiculite has worked very well for me. Just gotta make sure it stays damp, otherwise you may end up with eggs on the floor or in the water dish. I hadn't checked my lay box in a couple days since my girl wasn't due to lay yet, but it had dried up a bit and she laid her eggs on the floor when I checked on them last night. I think I found them soon enough, they look like they may still hatch, I'll have to wait and see.

Appreciate the tips bro...:yessir:

Appreciate the tips CK...The adults seem to be pretty laid back...You can tell when their about to make that leap - Sort of squat down like a frog...LOL...What king of substrate you using in your lay box? You ever keep Gargoyles?

i use damp peat in my lay area, four inches deep, and like rabernet said, they will begin diggin' some time before they lay.

never kept gargs.
ck

In my lay boxes I use about 75% sphagnum moss and 25% vermiculite and moisten it as needed. Be sure not to over due it also, this is the problem I had when I first began keeping them. When you squeeze a clump of it, it should be moist/damp but water should not be sopping out either.

As for the gargoyles I keep them identically to the cresteds across the board. There are some minor behavioral differences (larger, fatter, will bask in the open more, have sharper claws, etc), but from a care and husbandry aspect they can be kept the same as cresteds.

As for dropping tails it can happen for an infinite amount of reasons or no reason at all. As far as Ive seen and heard all of the wild collected/ observed adult cresteds have been reported as being tailless. A tailless crested may not be as ascetically pleasing, but its not a hinderance to the animal. In fact, some theororize, at least for males, it may be benificial. In my experience most of the dropped tails have come from frightened animals, or when they are kept in larger groups and get bullied.